Vapor or hot-air bath.



No. 688,563. Patented Dec. l0, l90l. ,G. W. WEAVER.

VAPOR 0R HOT AIR BATH.

(Application filed June 23, 1899.

(No Mddel.) 2 Sheets-Sha l.

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No. 688,563. Z Patented Dec. l0, l90l.

G. W; WEAVER.

VAPOR 0R HOT AIR BATH.

(Applicatio'n filed June 23, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WEAVER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

VAPOR OR HOT-AlR BATH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,563, dated December10, 1901,

Applicatioii filed June 23, 1899. Serial lilo. 721,663, (No model.)

T6 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WEAVER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, in the countyof Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements inVa'por or Hot- Air Baths, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain improve-j ments in vapor and warm-airbaths, and has for its object to provide a simple portable ap paratuswhich when not in use can be folded up into small compass.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a front view of my apparatus set up foruse. Fig. 2 shows a side view, the dotted lines indicating the positionof the headpiece when thrown forward so that the head of a person seatedwithin it is uncovered. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of myapparatus with the cover removed. Fig. 4 represents a side view with thecover removed, the dotted lines indicating the position of its severalparts when the apparatus is folded up and also the position of the frameof the hood when it is elevated; and Fig. 5 shows the back view of theapparatus with the cover removed.

A series of arched ribs A, A A and A are hinged to the supporting-rod Aso that they may be folded up together, and to these is attached aflexible cover A, of canvas, rubber, or other suitable material. Rods a,each secured to the arched top of the rib A and to the supporting-rod Abelow, pass, respectively, through the pairs of eyelets b b, whichproject from the back of the members B of the chair. Thus thesupporting-rods a are free to slide up and down through the eyelets, andthe hoodcan be raised and lowered vertically. Bracing-rods a and a areshown. The rods a and er? come in contact with the eyelets b at thepoints where they are attached to the vertical rods a, as at a and a andthus limit the vertical movement of the hood.

. I do not limit myself to the construction shown, for modifications ofit may be employed' which will afford a support forv the hood and admitof its being raised and lowered vertically.

The seat 0 of the chair is pivotally secured between its upright members13, as by bolts 0,

'ward legs D, as by the bolt 01, and having a longitudinal slot f withinwhich a pin 0, projecting from the seat- C, is adapted to slide. At theupper end of the said brace F the slot is continued at right angles, soas to form the shoulder f. When the pin 0 is set above the saidshoulder, it is apparent that the legs are locked infltheir extendedposit-ion. Thus the seat 0 of the chair is adapted to fold up betweenthe upright members B of the chair. The dotted lines in Fig. 4 show therespective positions of the seat, legs, and braces of the chair whenfolded up. It is obvious that my improved folding hood can be used aswell in combination with a chair which does not fold up.

An opening for the head is made in the cover A directlyover the seat 0of the chair, as is indicated by the dotted lines 00 w' in Fig. l, andan opening y on each side of the cover, through which a person using theapparatus may thrust his arms. A strip H of flexible material isstretched across the cover A, so as to cover the said openingscompletely, and is stitched to the cover at the back. The front of thestrip is held down closely upon the cover A, as by buttons It, so thatthe hot air or vapor will not escape from the hood through the saidopenings. Even when the front of the strip is buttoned down the personusing the apparatus is enabled to extend his arms outside of the hoodand to reach hisface or adjust the hood. A smaller hole h (indicated-bythe dotted lines in Fig. 1) is made for the head in the strip H.Drawing-strings may be employed to draw the strip H tightly around theneck to prevent the escape of the vapor or hot air, or any'othersuitable means may be employed for the purpose. If the strip H isunbuttoned and thrown back, a person using the apparatus can stand erectwithin it. Moreover,

when the said strip is thrown back the interior of the hood coolsgradually and one using the apparatus is not subjected to sudden changesof temperature.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I show an improved headpiece, which I use in connectionwith the hood of my bathing apparatus. The cloak I for the face issecured to the strip H at the ends of the hole 71, as shown in Fig. 2.This cloak when in use completely envelops the face of the person usingthe apparatus, so that it is subjected to the same treatment as the restof the body, and yet the cloak is so secure about the head that thepersons hair may be entirely without the apparatus. The headpieces whichhave heretofore been employed in connection with vapor and hot-air bathshave been open to the serious objection that they inclose the wholehead, and thereby subject ones hair and scalp to a treatment which isseriously injurious to them.

To support the cloak about the head in the manner indicated, I show abracket comprised of two wires,each of which is coiled at its lower end,as shown by t' t'. The wires are twisted together at 2", below whichpoint they are spread apart, as shown by '5 i and above that pointspread apart into the limbs i 2' The bracket thus formed is of suitableheight to hold the cloak above the face. The coils i 11 slip upon pins7L2 h projecting from the strip H, and can be readily removed from them.Theends of the upper limbs i 2' are inserted within pockets 2' i on theedge of the cloak I and can be withdrawn from them. The brackettherefore can be readily removed from the apparatus when the hood is tobe folded up or when for any other reason it is desirable.Drawing-strings (not shown in the drawings) may be employed to draw thecloak tightly about the head.

\Vhen my bathinghood is constructed with a headpiece like'that I havedescribed, drawing-strings need not also be provided about the hole inthe strip H to tighten the hood about the neck when the headpiece is notto be used, for the reason that when the bracket which supports thecloak I is removed the said cloak will drop down to the neck of theperson using the apparatus, and if the drawing-strings with which it isprovided are tightened the hot air cannot escape.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form of the bracket shown,for it is evident that the form of this bracket may be modified in manyrespects and yet retain the material and characteristic features of theinvention.

If the frame for the hood is of such height that the head of a personusing the apparatus will rise through the opening it when he is seatedupon the chair within it, it is evident that the hood must be elevatedbefore it can either be dropped forward over the person seated upon thechair or folded up. For the purpose of elevating the hood I employ acord G, which is secured to the braces a a, as at a, carried upwardthrough the pulley a and then down and beneath the seat 0 of the chair,as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The cover A is also carried around theback of the rib A, so that it forms a continuous and complete inclosurewhen the hood is down in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is evident that the hood also can be modified in many respects. Thusthe number of ribs may be increased, so that when opened the hood willdrop down to the floor both in front and behind a chair or stool placedbeneath it, and thus form a complete inclosure. In that case the cover Aneed not be carried around behind either of the outer ribs. It is alsoevident that the hood need not be con structed in combination with achair, but that it can readily be so constructed as to retain an openposition when dropped down over a chair.

What I claim is- 1. In a bathing apparatus, a folding hood adapted toform a complete inclosure and consisting of a series of arched ribspivotally secured to the rod A and a flexible cover attached to theseveral ribs, a supporting-rod A a chair; rods a supported on said chairand secured at the top to one of said ribs and at the bottom to thesupporting-rod A and adapted to slide vertically upon said chair, andmeans for vertically raising and lowering said hood.

2. In a bathing apparatus, a headpiece consisting of the cloak I havingthe pockets i, i, a bracket to support said cloak consisting of thepairs of limbs i 1" and '6 2' respectively, and means for removablyattaching said bracket to said apparatus, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a bathing apparatus, a folding hood adapted to form a completeinclosure and consisting of a support adapted to rest upon the floor, aseries of arched ribs hinged to said support, and the flexible cover Aattached to the several ribs and having an opening there in for thebody; the strip H removably secured to said hood above said opening andhaving the opening h therein; the cloak I for the face secured to saidstrip H and hav in g the pockets 1, i; a bracket to support said cloakconsisting of the pairs of limbs ,71 and i 1' respectively, and meansfor removably attaching said bracket to said apparatus, substantially asshown and described.

4. In a bathing apparatus, a. folding hood adapted to form a completeinclosure and consisting of a series of arched ribs pivotally secured toa support, and a flexible cover attached to the several ribs; a chair; asupport for said ribs on said chair and adapted to move verticallythereon; and means for vertically raising and lowering said hood.

GEO. W. /VEAVER.

Witnesses:

F. BIssELL, C. M. PERKINS.

